National Toshaos Conference begins on Monday

Toshaos from more than 200 Amerindian communities across Guyana will meet at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) for the National Toshaos Conference (NTC) beginning Monday.

The annual event will conclude on  Friday, May 23 and is being held under the theme “Robust Governance for Sustainable Village Development.”

The conference is organised by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs in collaboration with the National Toshaos Council.

The National Toshaos Council is the only constitutionally recognised body that represents the rights and interests of the nation’s first people.

In addition, the conference provides elected Amerindian leaders with a platform to directly engage members of government to discuss areas of development and advocate for initiatives or programmes geared towards the unique needs of their communities.

The NTC will open with a key address by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, followed by cultural presentations, adoption of the NTC agenda, and an interactive engagement session.

The remaining days leading up to the close will allow toshaos to participate in  discussions with ministers from  the various sectors, including health, education, housing, infrastructure, and public service, among others.

On the final day, President Ali will return to deliver the closing  remarks to  wrap up  a successful  week of strategic consultations which may lay the groundwork for further collaboration.

Meanwhile, the government, in its 2025 national fiscal plan allocated funds to support the staging of this year’s conference.

This reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring the voices of Amerindians  are meaningfully represented in national policymaking.

Speaking to the government’s unwavering commitment, since returning to office in August 2020, billions have been injected into development initiatives across all 240 Amerindian communities.

The intervention is reflected in areas like health, education, infrastructure, housing, water, and electricity.